Horse-detacher



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-She6t 1. J. MOOONNELL & M.-B. SHERMAN. HORSE DETAOHER. No. 433,873. Pgtented Aug. 5, 1890.

l/II WIZWESSEQSI (No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2. J. MOOONNELL & M. B. SHERMAN.

W HORSE DETAGHER. No. 433,873.

Patented Aug. 5, 1890.

WITNESSES 4 z I my: Maxims PETERB co, PNUTQ-LITNE, wpsumamu, u. c.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MCCONNELL AND MARENUS SHERMAN, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 433,873, dated August 5, 1890. Application filed March 26, 1890; Serial No. 345,315 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES MOCONNELL and MARENUs B. SHERMAN, both residents of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Unhitching Horses from Oars, Wagons, 850.; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in unhitching horses from cars, wagons, carriages, and other vehicles.

Many contrivances have heretofore been devised for automatically detaching horses from vehicles, but in most of these the shafts or tonguehave been detached with the horses, which is very objectionable, as will be apparent to any one who has ever used such de-' vices.

The object of the present invention is to provide simple, economical, and reliable means for detaching or unhitching horses from the tongues or shafts and trees of vehicles, so that said parts do not dangle around the feet andlegs of the animals, causingthem to be frightened and rendering them unmanageable.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and new combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wagon-tongue, neckyoke, eveuer, and whifiletree embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one end of one of the whiifletrees. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one end of the evener. Fig. 5 is a detail cross-sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the neck-yoke and its socket. Fig. 7 are detail views of the same detached. Fig. Sis a detail perspective view' of the segmental block which receives the free end of the curved arm with which the trace is connected.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates the evener, which is secured to the vehicle by means of the draw-pin 2.

The numerals 3 designate the whiifletrees.

f Each end of these whiffletrees is provided with or formed into a short projecting stud 4, which carries a collar or annulus 5, which is capable of rotating on said stud.

6 is a screw-nut fitting on the end of stud 4: for the purpose of retaining the collar 5 in place, the stud being screw-threaded to conform with the threads in the nut.

Upon the periphery of collar 5 are formed two projecting lugs 7, between which is pivoted, by means of pin 8, one end of the curved arm 9, which cairies a ring 10, with which the trace-tug is connected. As seen, this arm is bowed or -curved at its center. The free end of this arm works in a groove 12, in a segmental block 13, secured to this whiffletree. As will be seen, this groove begins at the rear side of the said'block and extends to near the other side thereof.

The whiifletrees are connected to the evcner as follows: At each end of the latter are pivoted the brackets 20, havingeyes or loops through which the whiffletrees pass, the same being secured thereto by means of pins 19. These brackets are approximately half-round in shape, having a plain lower side, which comes in contact with the upper surface ofthe evener. The forward part of each" bracket is formed with a projecting leaf '21, which fits between two lugs 22 22 on the evener, and secured thereto by the pivotpin 23. The brackets are cut away on each side of leaf 21, so as to form shoulders 24 24, which bear against the lugs 22 22, thus re' lieving the pivot-pin from strain. At the lower back portion the brackets are provided with projecting arms or tongues 26, which engage with a slot 27 in the casing 28, secured to the evener. These tongues are provided with slots 29, which receive the ends of the catches 30, which are actuated by springs 31, which with the catches arelocated within the casing 28. These catches are connected 'with a rope or chain 32, leading to the driver,

by which said catches are actuated to release the brackets 20 and allow them to turn on the pivot-pins 23.

The numeral 33 designates the neck-yoke, which is provided at each end with detaching devices in all essential particulars identical with those of the whiffletrees, straps being connected with the rings 10, and 34: designates the casting secured to the end of the pole 35, and provided with shoulders 36 for limiting the backward play of the neck-yoke. This casting has a central recess or bore 37, a front vertical slot 38, a circular slot 39 on its under side, and ahorizontal slot 40, intersecting therewith and extending back to shoulder 36. On its upper side the casting is provided with a short slot 41, which is somewhat wider than slots 40 and 38.

42 designates a downwardly projecting or depending arm pivoted centrally in the neckyoke, and is provided with a ball or sphere 43, which fits within the recess 37 in the casting 34. 44 is an arm secured to said sphere and extending backwardly, as shown. This arm is larger than slots 40 and 38, so that it cannot pass therethrough, but is smaller than slot 41. The ball-bearing 43 is inserted in the recess in the casing by passing the arm 44 vertically through slots 39 and 41, the ball passing through said slot 39, which is large enough for the purpose. The arm 44 is then turned forwardly and downwardly .until it is in a horizontal position, when it is forced backward, carrying the ball 43 with it until said ball reaches the end of the recess, the depending arm 42 sliding in slot 40.

NVe prefer to make the neck-yoke, whittletree, and hitching device of metal, but do not limit ourselves to any particular material. In Fig. 3 we have shown the ends of the whiffietrees carrying the hitching devices as being composed of removable or detachable metal sockets having the inner ends formed of a series of wings 46, made by recessing said end and then splitting the same. These wings are screw-threaded, upon which works the screw-threaded binding-nut 47. The ends of the whiffletrees are inserted between these wings, which are then clamped together by means of the nuts 47, and the trees are thus firmly secured in said sockets.

The operation is as follows: The parts be ing in their normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the trace-tugs are connected with the rings 10. As long as the parts remain in this position, it will be seen that the arms 9 will be locked or held in the groove 12 in block 13. \Nhen, however, in case of runaway or otherwise it is desired to unhit'ch the horses, the driver pulls the cord or rope 32,

disengaging the catches 30 from tongues 26 of the brackets 20. These brackets now turn upon their pivots 23, thus reversing the position of the whifiietree-that is to say, the blocks which in normal position faced upwardly now face downwardly, so that the strain of the traces causes the arms 9 to be disengaged from or pulled out of grooves 12 in said blocks, and turning 011 their pivots allow the rings 10 to slip off, thus detaching the animals from the vehicle. The operation of the neck-yoke is practically the same, the strain of the breast-straps with which the yoke is connectedkeeping the ball or sphere in its seat in the casing. WVhen the horses are released, however, from the whiffletrees, 7

said ball will be forced forward until it reaches the rounded slot, thus allowing the neck-yoke to turn and disengage the latches therefrom. It will be not-iced that the neckyoke is not detached from the tongue, thus preventing the point from sticking in the ground as it falls.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is V V 1. In a horse unhitching or detaching device, the combination,with an evener, a whiffletree having pivoted end arms connecting with a trace-tug, of apivoted bracket secured to the evener and having a slotted tongue, and a spring-catch provided with an operating rope or cord engaging with said slotted tongue, substantially as described.

2. In a horse detaching or unhitching device, the combination, With an evener and a whiffietree having pivoted end arms, of a bracket having a slotted tongue and a proj ecting ring and cut away or recessed at the sides of said lug to form shoulders, lugs on the evener between which the wing is pivoted, a spring-catch engaging with the slotted tongue, and an operating rope or cord connected with said catch, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a whifiietree, of a collar or annulus having a pivoted arm with which the trace is connected, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a whiffietree, of a rotatable collar having a pivoted arm with which the trace is connected, and a grooved segmental block with which the free end of said arm engages to lock it in place, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a whifiletree having a pivoted arm with which the traces are connected, of a neck-yoke having detachable end latches, a central depending arm, a ball or sphere on the lower end thereof, ahorizontal arm connectedtherewith, and a casting secured to the pole having a central bore, a vertical slot in its front wall, a circular aperture in its bottom, a horizontal slot intersecting said recess, and a short slot on the upper side, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereunto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES McOONNELL. MARENUS B. SHERMAN. lVitnesses:

GEO. KEARNEY, WILLIAM DUFFELL, Jr. 

